Ecology
Our planet is home to a great variety of living creatures that are dangerous to humans, and they do not necessarily have to be large in size. Insects can cause a lot of harm. Insects have played an important role throughout history, they were mentioned in the Bible, and they were found in the graves of ancient Egyptians. They also appear in many literary works. However, insects do not particularly attract the attention of most of us, and some are even afraid of them, which is quite reasonable, given the not so pleasant characteristics of these creatures. There are very safe insects, but today we will talk about those that pose a particular threat and from which it is better to stay away.
Redback spider. Latrodectus hasselti
This venomous spider of Australia from the family of web spiders is easily identified by its characteristic red stripe on its black body. They belong to the same genus as Black Widows, and are somewhat similar in appearance.
The redback spider has the strongest venom of any spider in Australia, containing potent toxins. Redness and swelling appear at the site of the bite, the person begins to feel sick, and a sharp pain is felt in the abdominal area.
In the 50s of the last century, antidotes were invented, and since that time not a single death has been recorded after the bite of the Australian widow (also called the species Latrodectus hasselti).
Wandering Spider. Banana spider
Another poisonous spider that can be found on the mainland. Its venom contains a powerful neurotoxin, which zoologists have named “PhTx3”.
In small doses this substance has valuable therapeutic properties, but in high concentrations it is a deadly poison. Once bitten, the wandering spider releases enough venom to paralyze the victim.
The poison causes complete muscle spasm, which leads to suffocation, and a large concentration causes cardiac arrest. Scientists have developed antidotes, so fewer and fewer deaths are being recorded after encountering this spider.
Not scary?
Order Coleoptera
Coleopterous insects are called beetles. They have characteristic features that distinguish them from other representatives of the class:
- the front wings are hard,
- at rest, the hind wings are covered with elytra,
- The oral apparatus of almost all representatives is chewing,
- the flight of beetles is usually heavy and very different from the flight of other insects.
Perhaps beetles are one of the largest orders, because it has about 330 thousand species. Their sizes are varied and can vary from 0.25 mm (feather wings) to 15 cm (Hercules beetle with a wingspan of up to 22 cm).
Some beetles benefit humans by eating the larvae of other insects that can harm plants. But there are beetles that can be called dangerous.
3) African Siafu ants
One colony of these ants, which consists of 20 million individuals, can devastate an entire African village, destroying everything in its path. When there is not enough food, the siafu colony begins to eat everything they can find in order to somehow survive. The ants can kill animals and humans and cause thousands of dollars in damage each year as they destroy Africa's valuable food supply.
Mantises
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And although all praying mantises look quite scary, you should pay special attention to the Devil's Flower Mantis and the Violin Mantis. The first one you can only find in South Africa. Usually it hides among flowers and waits for prey. The second one usually lives in India and reaches a length of 11 centimeters. At first glance, it resembles a handful of dry leaves.
Earwig
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While drying your clothes on a clothesline may initially seem like a great idea, be prepared to find these small insects in your dry clothes when you remove them. One of the horror stories associated with this insect tells that earwigs like to penetrate the human brain at night through the ear. Fortunately, this annoying myth has been debunked.
4) Wasps
Wasps are known to many people all over the world. These social insects with a bright yellow body and long antennae hunt parasites and pests, with each individual subspecies having its own prey. However, a wasp sting can be very dangerous for humans, as it is very painful and often causes allergic reactions. Some stung people go into anaphylactic shock and can die from just one wasp sting.
Bees
Some types of bees are not as harmless as they might seem. For example, the African bee and its hybrids, which appeared in America as invasive species, are quite aggressive and have caused a lot of damage over the past 50 years. Regular bees are known not to take up arms unless necessary, and they die after being stung. A bee sting itself is not fatal, but it can cause allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock, which leads to death. Unlike ordinary bees, killer bees can attack even in the case of the slightest provocation, and attack the victim in a whole swarm. These bees kill people and livestock.
The most dangerous insects in Russia
Many insects can cause significant harm to health, and some can even kill. Today we will talk about those species that you should be wary of in Russia.
The video version of the article can be viewed here (the text version is continued below):
Cockroaches. There are not many species of cockroaches in Russia. Mostly there are red cockroaches (also called Prussians), less often - black cockroaches! In addition to the fact that they reproduce very quickly (a female red locust can lay up to 50 eggs at a time, and during her life she lays about 250!) and are not aesthetically pleasing in any room, be it a house or any other establishment, they also are carriers of various bacteria and parasite eggs that adhere to the legs and body of the mustachioed scoundrel! You can also catch dysentery, diphtheria and other infections and diseases thanks to them. At night, these unwanted cohabitants of Homo Sapiens can eat the skin on children’s faces and can crawl into the ears (from where only a doctor can get them out)! And if you accidentally or on purpose (who knows) swallow a cockroach, you need to remember that in its stomach you can find eggs not only of worms, but also of many other very unpleasant parasites. Russian cockroaches are of little use as survival food, and if, God forbid, you are faced with the fact that there is no other food, try to take care of thorough heat treatment.
Red cockroach.
Ants. Despite the fact that in the Russian Federation there are no such animals as the “bullet ant” (the pain from the sting of this creature is comparable to a gunshot wound) or the “24-hour ant” (the pain does not subside and remains at the same high level for 24 hours), and other most bloodthirsty representatives, our domestic ants can also pose a threat. Like cockroaches, they carry various pathogenic bacteria, which can then enter the human body and cause various diseases: typhoid fever, cholera, etc. Therefore, ants in the house are as undesirable as cockroaches! And our ants bite, too, and they can cause a lot of problems, especially for inexperienced tourists (I had experience)! Although we must not forget about the merits of ants, which save vegetation from pests.
Forest ant.
Fleas are another nasty critter that has a painful bite that you can be allergic to! They can reward us with parasites, such as tapeworms, which, living in the human body, can grow up to 70 cm in length! Can also lead to bartonellosis! You can bring a flea into your home not only through contact with animals, but also simply on the soles of your shoes in pieces of dirt, as well as on clothes. And here are some more interesting facts about fleas: one individual inflicts on average about 400 bites in 1 day, is capable of jumping to a height of one and a half meters, lives for about 1.5 years and during this time lays 500 - 2000 eggs.
Flea.
Midges or midges are the name given to very unpleasant small insects (mostly humpbacked mosquitoes) whose size is less than 5 mm, attacking not only people, but also animals. Their strength is in numbers, huddled together they will not give you peace. By biting, substances will be injected into you, causing swelling at the site of the bite, redness, itching; if the midge frolics to its fullest, other manifestations of an allergic reaction may appear, such as an increase in temperature, sometimes up to 40 degrees! You will find the most ferocious types of midges in the tundra region (they are called tundra midges or Kholodkovsky midges). Then swelling and other effects fade into the background, because you can catch plague, tularemia, and other terrible diseases.
Mosquitoes are not as harmless as they seem; many of these creatures are carriers of diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, encephalitis, Zika fever and others. Malaria alone kills about 200,000 people worldwide every year. On the territory of our Motherland there are about 10 species of malaria mosquito, they are found in the European part of our country, as well as in Western Siberia.
Mosquitoes.
Flies. There are quite a lot of different flies and they are all dangerous to us to varying degrees. They can be carriers of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, paratyphoid fever, etc. And house flies are also first-class carriers of worms! Flies also have positive qualities: they pollinate plants and enrich the soil, but this doesn’t make it any easier, is it necessary to go into detail about how arrogantly and annoyingly flies behave and how painful their bite can be in the fall! But in addition to diseases, other flies can cause myiases - parasitizing larvae inside the body of an animal and even a person. This occurs as a result of the laying of eggs under the skin, in the eyes, wounds, etc. In Russia, the cause of myiasis is most often the Wohlfarth fly, which lays its larvae on the skin of the victim. These small worms quickly bite into it and feed on soft tissues, causing unbearable pain to their owner. In addition, the passages made by these parasites in living tissues fester and bleed.
Wohlfart's fly.
Horseflies are terrible creatures that adore blood. There are about 200 species of horseflies in Russia. They carry many diseases, such as anthrax. In addition, the bites themselves are very painful. Biting horseflies inject anticoagulants and toxins, which slow down blood clotting, and the wounds bleed for a long time and do not heal.
Horsefly of the genus Tabanus.
Gadflies. This should not be confused with horse flies; such a misconception can be dangerous. Remember, gadflies are large, hairy flies with a large head. Their larvae live inside any living organism (humans are also suitable for this role) and eat its tissues. The gastric botfly, which usually parasitizes horses, is very dangerous, but it can also take advantage of humans. It lays its eggs in the grass or directly on the skin, from where the larvae independently make their way into the body. There have been recorded cases of gadfly worms entering the human brain, which leads to catastrophic consequences! But the botfly also lives in the Russian Federation. Its babies love to develop in the nasal and pharyngeal cavities, and the frontal cavity of ungulates. In humans, the gadfly prefers the nose, throat and eyes (which poses a risk to vision and the brain).
It is worth highlighting the most common domestic varieties of this truly terrible creature: the Russian “rhinoestrus purpureas” and the sheep gadfly “oestrus ovis”. These guys do not lay eggs in the usual sense, preferring to shoot larvae right on the fly, aiming at the nostrils or organs of vision of some sheep or Homo sapiens. If the goal is achieved and the larva gets into, for example, the eye, the eye will hurt and water, and if the parasite is not removed in time, the eye may fester. The larvae, in turn, cling tightly, and most often they can only be removed through surgery.
Oestrus ovis.
Bees are creatures worthy of respect and play a significant role in our lives, allowing us to enjoy honey! However, they can also pose a risk to people, despite the fact that they are not aggressive and only attack in defense. Bees are not only hardworking, but also dexterous, and it is not so easy to brush aside this honey plant! You need to understand that if she stings you, she herself will die, since along with the sting, which gets stuck in the body of the object of attack, the bee also loses part of its internal organs. At the same time, special substances are released that attract other bees who are ready to sacrifice themselves (for this reason, crushing honey-bearing creatures is also not recommended), and the bees live in large families! In addition to the pain from the sting, some people are hypersensitive to their venom, which can cause allergic angioedema, which can result in death. It is very undesirable for all people if the bite is applied to the tongue, pharynx or palate, because the resulting swelling can block air flow and lead to asphyxia.
After an attack, bees are recommended to take an antihistamine, remove the sting with tweezers, and apply ice. Do not scratch the stung area, you can get an infection and get skin damage! Squeezing out the sting with your fingers is also not recommended. If the person bitten suffers from allergies, it is recommended to give an injection of adrenaline, which will reduce the allergic reaction and also save life.
Bee.
Wasps are very annoying and dangerous! Especially for allergy sufferers, for whom a sting threatens death! They don't give you honey! After they sting you, they don’t die, so they can repeat the procedure again and again! They climb into bags, fly into public transport, arrange parties near fruit shops and stalls, and like to test your nerves. However, it cannot be said that wasps are completely useless; they help get rid of garden pests and flies.
Wasps.
The bumblebee is a beautiful insect and one might even say kind. It pollinates its own flowers and does not bother people. I remember how my grandfather picked up several bumblebees and they calmly crawled across his palms without biting! However, not everything is so rosy, in fact, a bumblebee bite is very painful, and in 1% of the world's population, it can also cause an anaphelactic reaction, the likelihood of which increases with a repeated attack, and if you manage to get many bites, you can even die.
Bumblebee.
Hornets can attack for no reason and cause serious allergic reactions leading to death; read about their most terrible representative below.
The Asian giant hornet is the terror of Asia and the largest hornet in the world. The length of the body is already 5 cm! Found only in the Primorsky Territory. However, with the inexorable onset of global warming, their habitat is constantly expanding. The Asian giant itself is aggressive and cruel, much more than the bees, whose heads it literally blows off with its massive jaws! Then it grinds it into biomass and brings it to your hive as food for the larvae! A hornet can kill 300 bees in an hour, and if a beehive is attacked by a small group of hornets, then about 30,000 die in an hour. The bees fight to the death and defend themselves as best they can, but if attacked by a group of these giants, they are doomed! Having killed everyone, the attackers grab honey and larvae. The only chance for bees in a fight with the enemy is to destroy the “scout” who has not yet had time to inform his relatives about the found bee hive. They do it this way: having lured the “scout” into their hive, they rush at him en masse and while he destroys the bees closest to him, the rest, vibrating with their wings, create a temperature equal to 50 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, protein compounds are destroyed. The hornet and the bees closest to it die, but the hive is saved.
Asian giant hornet.
For people, an encounter with this giant can also end in disaster, because its venom not only destroys tissue, but also contains a neurotoxin that paralyzes the nervous system, and an allergic reaction to a sting can lead to anaphylactic shock and subsequent death! In addition, the hornet's sting, which it usually inflicts at speed, is extremely painful. Those unfortunate people who have felt the intensity of pain compare the attack of a hornet to a blow from a heavy sledgehammer.
Beetles with powerful jaws. Such as ground beetles, stag beetles, longhorned beetles, swimming beetles and others are capable of biting through the skin, which can be quite painful.
Swimmer.
Poisonous bugs. In principle, they do not inject poison, so there is no need to fear that you will be poisoned through the bitten skin. However, beetles can be poisonous because their blood, the so-called hemolymph, contains toxic substances, for example, cantharidin. If this chemical compound gets into the blood or mucous membranes, everything can end badly, including death. The most concentrated hemolymph in this sense is in such beetles as ladybugs of the genus “Coccinellidae”, redwings “Lycidae”, babies “Melyridae”, soft beetles “Cantharidae” and blister beetles “Meloidae”; more about them below.
Ladybug.
The blister beetle has about 70 species and is very poisonous. The reason is cantharidin, which is contained in the body of the beetle. If this substance gets on your skin, it will undoubtedly leave abscesses and blisters on it. Once in the wound, it has a negative effect on the functioning of the urinary tract and kidneys. If it gets into the blood, death is possible! It’s no joke, in the Middle Ages many rulers were vilely poisoned by the poison of these very insects and died in terrible suffering. You can absolutely protect yourself only by eliminating all contact with blisters.
The beetle is a blister beetle.
Large ground beetles. Especially common in our country is “Carabus”, which shoots a caustic liquid from the back of the body, and quite far at a distance of 30 - 50 cm. If it gets on the skin, this liquid can cause a burning sensation, but if it gets into the eyes, it is already fraught for vision, especially if you do not immediately rinse your eyes with plenty of water.
Ground beetle.
There are other dangerous creatures covered with chitinous shells, such as ticks and spiders, that are not insects.
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Bullet Ant
If a bullet ant or diurnal ant makes a cry, it means it is ready to attack its prey. One of the most dangerous insects lives on a tree, where it grows its anthill, the height of which can be more than 10 meters. This species is common in South America and is distinguished by a powerful sting and paralyzing venom. The bullet ant is a predator. It feeds on both living and dead insects, but also loves sweet plant juice. He is considered a peaceful inhabitant of the tropics until danger threatens. If you have to defend yourself, the ant will first make a warning hissing sound, emit an unpleasant odor, and only then attack. Its bite is so painful that it is comparable to a bullet wound. Hence the name "bullet". And the pain experienced by the bitten person lasts a day, which gave the second name “daily” or “24 hours”.
10) Malaria mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are terrible irritants because they suck blood and can drive a person crazy under certain conditions. They lay their eggs near stagnant bodies of water, and from one clutch millions of individuals are born. However, the biggest problem is that mosquitoes can carry dangerous diseases such as malaria. Thousands of people die from this disease every year; these mosquitoes are the most dangerous and deadly insects on the planet.
9) Fleas
If you have cats or dogs at home, you know very well what fleas are, and you also know that they can bite not only pets, but also their owners. Fleas spread bubonic plague
, which can be transferred from rats to humans.
This disease is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis
. Fleas feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals and reproduce at tremendous speed. Flea bites can cause allergic reactions.
Fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus australis)
Scorpio is one of the oldest inhabitants of our planet. These arachnids have existed for 400 million years, and they feel great. Predators among insects, they prefer to hunt at night. Strong front claws grab and hold prey, and the tail sting injects venom into the caught insect or small animal.
A scorpion bite is always unpleasant, but there are some whose venom is comparable to that of the most dangerous snakes. Meeting and contacting such an insect is very dangerous!
In the Middle East and northern Africa, in arid areas, there is a thick-tailed scorpion, a drop of venom of which can kill a person in 5-7 hours. This is a powerful animal, up to 10 cm long, dark brown or black in color. It bites a person most often in case of defense - when penetrating into his zone of influence.
Scorpion venom has a paralytic effect, comparable to a cobra bite. After a few hours, general muscle paralysis begins and everything can end in cardiac arrest if the antidote is not administered in time.
2) Human Gadfly
Another dangerous parasitic insect is the human gadfly. This insect looks like a huge fly, which reaches about 12-19 mm in length. The human gadfly is capable of implanting its larvae under the skin of animals and people. To do this, the insect does not have to directly land on the body of its victim, because the gadfly can intercept other insects that may come into contact with other living creatures. For example, a female gadfly can transmit her eggs in flight to blood-sucking insects, which subsequently infect animals and people. When the larva gets under the skin of the victim, it grows and develops there. It is nourished by the fluid secreted by the skin. The gadfly larva is dangerous for humans because it causes various skin diseases. It is also not uncommon for this parasite to settle in the mucous membrane of the eyes and threaten complete loss of vision. At the time of infection with a gadfly larva, redness appears in the form of a small pimple, then this area becomes inflamed and causes pain. Every day, a lump begins to develop in the area where the larva lives, which subsequently grows and secretes pus. The gadfly larva uses its living victim to develop itself, and later, as an adult, leaves the body of the victim. During the period of infection, a person experiences painful symptoms, including aesthetic inconveniences.
Antlion
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The lifespan of these tiny creatures is about 30 years. Moreover, they are able to lift 100 times their body weight and survive after spending 24 hours underwater. Yes, yes, all this applies to ordinary ants. The antlion is one of many thousands of subspecies of these insects. Upon closer inspection, the antlion larva is capable of making an impression, which is worth the huge claws alone!
